Alternate Epilogue
by Vaneria Potter
Summary: 19 Years is a long time, in which any number of things can happen. Five Years after the Battle of Hogwarts, The DA meet for drinks in the Hog's Head, and talk about things past, present and future.


_Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. Deal with it._

_Summary: Because the Epilogue didn't tell us anything beyond who married who and had kids._

* * *

**ALL BECOMING WELL**

_Private Parlour, The Hog's Head tavern  
__Unknown location in Scotland, August 15__th__, 2003_

Ginny opened the door as Harry, Ron and Hermione returned from the bar downstairs, loaded with drinks. Putting them down, Harry raised a tankard, gaining everyone's attention. "To the new Hogwarts Herbology Professor! We knew you could do it, and Professor Sprout couldn't have asked for a better replacement!"

Neville wrapped an arm around his new girlfriend, former-Hufflepuff Hannah Abbott, grinning and trying not to blush as the rest of the former DA echoed the toast. "To Ron and Harry, no longer Rookie Aurors!"

It said a lot about how much Ron had matured in the five years since graduation that he didn't put up a boast about who was now senior to whom. Harry was better at making snap decisions in the field, but Ron was better at strategizing, which was why he had been promoted to the brass while Harry was just a squad-leader.

* * *

Hermione smiled fondly at both boys, her almost-brother and her off-again-on-again boyfriend, before returning to her conversation with Luna.

Hermione had been the driving force behind Equality Laws for magical creatures like Werewolves and House Elves, but Lavender Brown (who had a personal interest after nearly dying at the hands of Greyback and becoming a Werewolf herself) and Luna had helped a lot with researching the nature of the creatures. Passing copies of their research on to Blaise Zabini and his new wife, the former Padma Patil, had allowed the two partners –in-research-and-now-in-matrimony to make some huge strides in improving the Wolfsbane Potion and researching a cure.

Besides, as long as the conversation stayed about upcoming legislation and the Magizoologist that Luna had met recently, Rolf, Hermione didn't have to eat Humble Pie and admit that she had spent several years being wrong about several things written in the Quibbler.

In the past year, Luna had discovered not only a Crumple-Horned Snorkack, which she was currently trying to breed, but also solid evidence of the existence of Heliopaths, and their link to someone in the Centaur Liaison Office. The Centaur Liaison Office might be a euphemism for getting the pink slip, but it was also a good place to put Embarrassing Family Members of the current High-Ups, including Fudge's thoroughly insane half-sister.

* * *

George and Angelina were there, looking mildly annoyed after two hours of repeating that just because everyone else had missed the twins switching on dates with her until she called them on it, did not mean that her relationship was twisted just because she had dated Fred once or twice. After the unexpected couple of Katie Bell and Alicia Spinnet had publically backed them up (Six years of Quidditch built up good aim and better arm strength.), and George threatened to ban the next person to bring it up from WWW, everyone finally backed off, congratulating them on the engagement.

* * *

Cho had brought her fiancée, a Muggle who she had met at a party hosted by her second-cousin, a squib. For Cho's sake, he was trying to fit in, and doing a passable job as he talked to Ginny. "Er, Cho says you were a …Chaser, I think… for a local Quidditch team?"

The Holyhead Harpies were more along the lines of a National team, but given the less-than-cordial relationship between the two witches (the Year With The Carrows had forced everyone to mature, and Ginny could now admit to her far-from-nice behaviour in the two year preceding it), Ginny was flattered that Cho had mentioned her. "Yes, but I'm retiring at the end of the next season."

Cho joined them, passing Martin a Butterbeer. "Really? Well, it's their loss."

Ginny laughed; Cho managed the team she had supported all her life, and who were constantly vying with the Harpies for position in the League. "The Harpies' loss and your gain, O Tornedos' Manager? Most Quidditch Professionals have a career of maybe ten years, and I've already had four. Plus, _Witch Weekly_ has an advertisement for a sports columnist, so I can still enjoy Quidditch. I'll just be writing it instead of playing it! Did Dennis tell you that he got a contract with them as a freelance photographer?"

* * *

Dennis had taken up Photography after his brother's death in the Battle of Hogwarts, as a way of honouring his memory, and turned out to be very good at it. It looked like he hadn't mentioned how much he was sought-after, though, if the way that the back of Dennis's neck (all that they could see from where he was talking to Parvati nearby) was turning red was any indication. Then again, that could just be because they had just been joined by Lavender, who was trying to convince him to help with the publicity and administration of the Fashion Line they had just opened.

Ginny sighed, trying to push back the jealousy at the uncharitable thought that it was only a matter of time before Dennis agreed, as nearly any red-blooded male would.

Harry had taken Parvati for an apology date a few months after the Battle of Hogwarts, which had turned into a summer fling. Ginny knew that she didn't have to be jealous, since she and Harry had been steady for the past three years, but it didn't help that Parvati and Lavender were turning out to be the kind of women who only got more beautiful as time went on. Ginny's slim, almost girlish, figure might have been a bonus on a broom, but off the pitch it made her feel more than a bit insecure against Lavender's busty curves and Parvati's exotic looks.

* * *

But, Ginny had her life, and they had theirs, the time for grudges was past.

Looking at Blaise standing with Padma and Dean Thomas's current girlfriend, Tracy Davis, the three of them managing to hold a civil conversation with Ron and Harry while Dean caught up with Seamus, probably discussing the new Pub he had opened six months ago, Ginny felt herself smile.

Times were changing, however slowly, and the future was slowly looking brighter as the Prejudice and Racism that had plagued the Wizarding World was forced out. Who knew what the future would hold?

* * *

Her smile widened as Harry walked over to her. "If we ever have kids, remind me to seriously down-play _everything_ about the Boy-Who-Lived." He paused for a moment, "…and to let St Mungo's know that they are to disregard any information about names unless it comes from you and me in person."

That didn't make quite as much sense, and Ginny raised an eyebrow. Harry explained, "Blaise says that there's a betting pool on what all of us name our eventual kids. A strong trend is James for a boy and Lily for a girl. Now, one or the other, I could stand, but brother and sister named after a married couple? That's a bit too disturbing."

Lavender brushed past on her way to another drinks run. "Did you hear the nutjob who was talking about taking Polyjuice Potion so that they could get into St Mungo's and tell the Healers to name your hypothetical son Albus Severus? Something about getting a Potter into Slytherin."

The couple stared after the blonde, speechless, as Seamus came up behind them. "I heard that rumour in me pub last week. Man was drunk off his arse, had to be to think that having the initials A.S.P was enough to get him into the House of Snakes. I reckon it'd just get him beat up in the playground."

Dean muffled a snigger as Harry frowned. "I am not naming my son after Snape. He might have been brave by becoming a spy, but that doesn't change the fact that he was a bullying git. I don't care where any future children of mine get sorted, just as long as they're happy there."

Dean didn't muffle his next laugh. "Hey, did you hear the bet about Malfoy planning to name his future kids after constellations? Apparently his wife is trying to get on her mother-in-law's good side by taking the black tradition of naming kids after stars."

Michael had overheard the last part of the conversation. "Oh, yeah. Malfoy argued that nearly all of the stars had been used, probably at least twice, and Astoria twisted it into agreeing to name the poor kid after a sign of the Zodiac."

The other three boys burst into howls of merriment. Harry wiped his eyes, "Maybe I'll go talk to him one of these days; exchange strategies about how to save the next generation from hating us for what we named them!"

Trying to keep a straight face, Ginny laughed quietly to herself. Draco Malfoy had started working at a Ministry Department located near the DMLE, which meant that he would end up crossing paths with Ron and Harry if only on the way to lunch. Maybe one day the three men would even manage to exchange a civil nod in public!

All was not well, yet, but maybe one day it would be.

.

.

.

.

* * *

_A/N: Why is it that all my one-shot ideas always happen right when I'm about to go to bed for an early morning the next day?_

_Anyway, I thought that the Epilogue left far too many unanswered questions and too many things unfinished. What happened to the rest of the DA? Did Hermione ever managed to carry through her campaigns for equality? Did Luna ever find any of the creatures that no-one else thought existed? How did Harry and Malfoy get to the point of civility?_

_This was written late at night, so I'm afraid that it probably isn't very good, but I'm sure any readers will manage._

_Thanks,_

_Nat_


End file.
